Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29976237›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer research : BCR2018

Evaluation of α-tubulin, detyrosinated α-tubulin, and vimentin in CTCs: identification of the interaction between CTCs and blood cells through cytoskeletal elements.

G Kallergi, D Aggouraki, N Zacharopoulou, C Stournaras, V Georgoulias, S S Martin

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Breast cancer research : BCR, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 36 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Circulating Tumor Cells: Emerging Frontiers in Cancer Technology.Expert reviews in molecular medicine · 2026
    Review
  3. Peptide-based covalent inhibitor of tubulin detyrosination promotes mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition in lung cancer cells.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

G KallergiLaboratory of Τumor Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece. kalergi@med.uoc.gr.ORCID 0000-0001-9825-3871
D AggourakiLaboratory of Τumor Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
N ZacharopoulouDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Crete, Greece Medical School, Heraklion, Greece.
C StournarasDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Crete, Greece Medical School, Heraklion, Greece.
V GeorgouliasLaboratory of Τumor Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
S S MartinDepartment of Physiology, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, USA.
University of Crete · GRUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore · US

Funding

Tubulin microtentacles in detached mammary epithelial cellsR01CA124704 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · PI MARTIN, STUART S · 2007 to 2025
$5.7M
Targeting microtubule stabilization to reduce breast tumor metastasisR01CA154624 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · PI MARTIN, STUART S · 2012 to 2023
$3.4M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA124704NCI NIH HHS R01 CA154624
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCirculating tumor cells (CTCs) are the major players in the metastatic process. A potential mechanism of cell migration and invasion is the formation of microtentacles in tumor cells. These structures are supported by α-tubulin (TUB), detyrosinated α-tubulin (GLU), and vimentin (VIM). In the current study, we evaluated the expression of those cytoskeletal proteins in CTCs.

methodsForty patients with breast cancer (BC) (16 early and 24 metastatic) were enrolled in the study. CTCs were isolated using the ISET platform and stained with the following combinations of antibodies: pancytokeratin (CK)/VIM/TUB and CK/VIM/GLU. Samples were analyzed with the ARIOL platform and confocal laser scanning microscopy.

resultsFluorescence quantification revealed that the ratios CK/TUB, CK/VIM, and CK/GLU were statistically increased in MCF7 compared with more aggressive cell lines (SKBR3 and MDA-MB-231). In addition, all of these ratios were statistically increased in MCF7 cells compared with metastatic BC patients' CTCs (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001, and p = 0.003, respectively). Interestingly, intercellular connections among CTCs and between CTCs and blood cells through cytoskeleton bridges were revealed, whereas microtentacles were increased in patients with CTC clusters. These intercellular connections were supported by TUB, VIM, and GLU. Quantification of the examined molecules revealed that the median intensity of TUB, GLU, and VIM was significantly increased in patients with metastatic BC compared with those with early disease (TUB, 62.27 vs 11.5, p = 0.0001; GLU, 6.99 vs 5.29, p = 0.029; and VIM, 8.24 vs 5.38, p = 0.0001, respectively).

conclusionsCTCs from patients with BC aggregate to each other and to blood cells through cytoskeletal protrusions, supported by VIM, TUB, and GLU. Quantification of these molecules could potentially identify CTCs related to more aggressive disease.

Indexed as

AdultAgedBiomarkers, TumorBreast NeoplasmsCell MovementCytoskeletonEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionFemaleHumansMCF-7 CellsMicroscopy, ConfocalMiddle AgedNeoplastic Cells, CirculatingTubulinTyrosineVimentinBiomarkers, TumorTubulinTyrosineVimentinBreast cancerCTCsCytoskeletonDetyrosinated α-tubulinMetastasisMicrotentaclesVimentinα-Tubulin

Identifiers

PMID29976237
PMCPMC6034292
OpenAlexW2874337470

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.